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Temporary Duty (TV series episode)
Temporary Duty was the 22nd episode of Season 6 of the M*A*S*H TV series, also the 144th overall series episode. The episode, which was written by Larry Balmagia, was directed by Burt Metcalfe and was originally aired on CBS-TV on February 13, 1978. Plot synopsis While Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and Nurse Bigelow (Enid Kent) are temporarily assigned to the 8063rd, the 4077th have to deal with a loud happy-go-lucky cowboy Captain Roy Dupree (played by George Lindsey) and a smart, but very open old girlfriend of Margaret's, Lorraine Anderson (Marcia Rodd). Full summary A temporary medical exchange sends Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and Nurse Bigelow (Enid Kent) to the 8063rd M*A*S*H unit, and surgeon Capt. Roy DuPree and nurse Cpt. Lorraine Anderson to the 4077th. Before long, the doctors have been driven to distraction by Dupree's boorish clumsiness, and head nurse Margaret (Loretta Swit) is outraged by old friend Lorraine's flirtatious behavior with Charles. which she looked at as "silly". Margaret and Lorraine have a heart-to-heart talk, where Margaret admits she's been so jealous of her friend for so long she's almost come to hate her. Because while Lorraine is a top-flight nurse, she's still the same fun, carefree person she was when she was younger. Margaret feels trapped by her identity as "Major Houlihan" and admits she has no friends at the 4077th. Lorraine urges her to let her guard down a little, and to try and let people in - she is sure they'd get to like Margaret if she would let people meet the real person inside. Meanwhile, Dupree is having a "grand ole' time" at the 4077th - he even enjoys the food! He annoys BJ by mispronouncing his name and insults Winchester by calling him "Chuckwagon" and thinking he is from gasp Yale! He tells B.J. some of his ideas for decorating the Swamp (shrunken heads!), and how he's angling - via Col. Potter - to be transferred to the 4077th permanently. Potter, who likes Dupree's down-home charm, promises to see what he can do about making it happen for him. When BJ and Charles learn of DuPree's intentions, they're both terrified at the prospect of being in a "prairie purgatory" bunking with the boorish DuPree, and devise a plan to prevent his permanent transfer. They persuade DuPree, who admitted to Charles and BJ that he had been riding horseback since he was small, to test out riding Sophie, "the camp mascot," without Colonel Potter's knowledge. In the middle of the night, Col. Potter is furious to find the drunken Dupree riding Sophie throughout the camp. He orders him off, which Dupree promptly does by falling off the horse. Potter says he never wants to see Dupree again, ending his chance at a transfer. The next morning, Dupree - hungover - and Lorraine head out, and Margaret asks B.J. and Winchester to join her in a cup of coffee in the Mess Tent. At first surprised, they agree, looking at each other in slight amazement as to the change. Wonder how the 8063rd is doing? Well, at episode's end, when Hawkeye and Nurse Bigelow return from the 8063rd, Hawkeye says that he didn't go over well, at least with him, that the surgeons and staff thought that he was dull, "hated him," and that "the 4077th had gotten the better end of the deal." After feigning with BJ as if they were glad he was gone, Charles tells him, "Pierce, I never thought the day would come when I would admit this, but God, I missed you!" ''as he and BJ bear hug a very surprised Pierce. Memorable quotes (Dupree downs the "Swamp hooch" in one gulp) '''DUPREE': Why don't you boys put some whiskey in this punch? B.J.: You were a fire eater before you became a doctor! DUPREE: Shoot, back home my mama'd sprinkle this stuff on her ironing board! Recurring cast/Guests *Enid Kent as Nurse Bigelow *George Lindsey as Roy DuPree *Marcia Rodd as Lorraine Anderson Fun facts *Dupree graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1944; at least after his graduation he would have been subject to the draft for World War II 1944-1946; with at least 8 years service 1944-1952 his rank would have been a 1st Lt...Not a captain *In a brief shot of the background where Dupree comes into the "Swamp" totally drunk a brief glimpse of the cupboard which was used by Frank Burns to hold a picture of his mother now has a picture of US President Harry S Truman-despite the fact that after December 1952 The Late Captain Pierce (TV series episode) the US President is Dwight D Eisenhower. External links *[http://www.tv.com/shows/mash/temporary-duty-43343/ M*A*S*H episode Temporary Duty at TV.com] *[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0638418/ M*A*S*H episode Temporary Duty at the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)] Category:Season 6 episodes